Just picked a couple of the new ones up. How have they been changed over the years and when was the tooling changed. It looks close...but different from the PW version. Did MPC ever offer a straight up PW version?
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The original #148 used L-19 pin-type bulbs, and the bulb cover just pulled off.
The updated version used 8352 type plastic wedge style bulbs, and the bulb cover was screwed in place.
The most recent version uses LED's, which are apparently not field replaceable.
Larry
Yes, MPC did offer 2115 Dwarf signals in the original configuration with pin based bulbs. I think they were molded in a different color, as was common MPC practice. They also included a track contactor instead of a slide switch to control it.
I'd be interested to know when they changed items that used #12 or #19 bulbs. I am under the impression that these bulbs were declared obsolete long before Lionel stopped using them.
Originally Posted by TrainLarry:
The original #148 used L-19 pin-type bulbs, and the bulb cover just pulled off.
The updated version used 8352 type plastic wedge style bulbs, and the bulb cover was screwed in place.
The most recent version uses LED's, which are apparently not field replaceable.
But unless the user really overloads them somehow, they shouldn't need replacement, right?
I've been considering one of the new LED versions myself, but I haven't yet spoken to anyone who's used them.
According to the owner's manual, the LED version can be operated between 6-18 volts, so overloading them should not be a problem.
Larry
Did Lionel have to tweak the PW tooling to accommodate the bulb changes?
